In the fascinating world of Hollywood, the true toll of filmmaking often stays hidden behind the scenes, as it happened with one of the most acclaimed roles of the Oscar-winning actor George Clooney. Throughout his illustrious career, Clooney has given a range of performances from charming romantic leads to intense thrillers.
Among his many notable films is the 2005 political thriller Syriana, which landed him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. However, the acclaimed film came at a significant personal price. During the shoot, Clooney sustained a severe injury that he later revealed drove him to the brink of suicidal thoughts.
Goerge Clooney’s Hidden Struggle While Filming Syriana
Syriana follows George Clooney as a CIA agent, who uncovers deep-seated corruption and dangerous alliances, ultimately leading him to question his loyalties and the true cost of his work.
The film was received very well, earning plenty of acclaim. However, while filming one of the scenes, the actor suffered a severe head injury just days before wrapping the movie.
Reflecting on the incident, Clooney told The Hollywood Reporter, “I knew immediately [how serious it was],” as he described it as a stroke. However, despite the constant spinal fluid leaking from his nose, the cause was initially undiagnosed.
It wasn’t until Lisa Kudrow directed him to her neurologist brother that he found out that with his head injury, Clooney had also torn his dura, the outermost layer enveloping the spinal cord.
“I had a two-and-a-half-inch tear in the middle of my back and a half-inch tear in my neck,” he said. The Ocean’s Eleven star went through multiple myelograms and blood patches, a process that involved injecting blood into his spinal column to promote coagulation and seal the tears.
He shared that the process was extremely painful. The actor endured about 15 of these procedures over 15 days, all while awake. The intense pain of the injury and treatment led him to contemplate suicide.
Goerge Clooney’s Injury Led to Some Dark Thoughts
George Clooney highlighted the extreme discomfort associated with this condition and that it led him to confront his own morality. He also opened up about enduring the intese pain due to the cerebral spinal fluid leak, stating that it was so severe that he even started contemplating suicide.
“I thought I was going to die,” he said before adding, “There was this whole coming to terms with [mortality].” After a grueling nine-hour surgery, he was prescribed a series of painkillers, including Vicodin and morphine.
He also turned to a pain management specialist who helped him understand that he could no longer mourn his former pain-free self. “You can’t mourn for how you used to feel, because you’re never going to feel that way again,” he recalled the specialist’s words.
While the pain diminished over time, it has not gone, despite the long treatment. Clooney shared that he still deals with chronic pain about three times a week. The actor, however, still maintained a resilient attitude.
“I’ve gone from where I can’t function, where ‘I just can’t live like this,’ to ‘I’ve got a bad headache,” he said. However, he found inspiration in his friend, actress Karen Duffy, who suffers from sarcoidosis, a painful inflammatory disease, as he acknowledged that her pain is so much greater.
Syriana is available to stream on Prime Video.
